


Blue Sweaters and Red Gowns

by LegolasLovely



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Fanfiction, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, The Hobbit - Freeform, The Hobbit fanfiction - Freeform, fili - Freeform, love of my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-13 20:43:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21003890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegolasLovely/pseuds/LegolasLovely
Summary: (Y/N) helps Prince Fili picks gifts out for his lady friend at the market.





	Blue Sweaters and Red Gowns

**Author's Note:**

> {Warnings: Fluff and teeny weeny angst for plot and THAT’S IT}

It wasn’t common for the royals to take part in the madness of market day. For hundreds of years, if the royal family needed something- special treats, fabric, jewelry, ornaments, weapons- gifts from the best tradesmen were gladly delivered to the mountain. It was tradition.

Nowadays, the kingdom was used to seeing one of the royal family moseying through every week. Fili didn’t necessarily enjoy the bustling streets, the strong smells of over fermented beer and halfway rancid meat, or the loud music from the amateur bands that echoed through the market. He definitely didn’t enjoy hundreds of pairs of expecting eyes on him. But he did enjoy spending time at one tent in particular.

As always, he took his time looking at the treats and gifts his people loved to shove in his face. He often purchased delicious cakes for his brother from kind, wrinkly old Miss Diyla in the second tent from the mountain. Some days, the treats wouldn’t make it back and they were washed down with the port he’d bought for his uncle. He would make sure to buy more on his way back home- no one needed to know and old Miss Diyla kept his secret.

But no matter how many tents he stopped at, Fili was always on a mission. He wanted to see (Y/N) and make her smile.

She was a sweet young dam who sold handmade outerwear with her family in the fourth tent down from the mountain. (Y/N). When he’d first met her, she shied away from his presence and let her father do all the bowing, speaking, and selling. Only after weeks of Fili’s visits, did she warm up to him, growing confident in her place with him and within the market. The shawls and sweaters she made were the most popular in the kingdom and she always took time to smile at him and speak with him. He’d grown to know her as much as she’d allow and he wanted more.

Today, his mission was more important than ever. He weaved through the smiling dwarrows, nodding and shaking hands until he reached the fourth tent. But he only saw (Y/N)’s mother who grinned at him.

“(Y/N)’s in the back,” she said, skipping the small talk and giving him the information she knew he wanted.

He nodded with a small smile. _Caught,_ he thought. “Well, I won’t bother her. I’ll stop by on my way back through.”

“No, no,” (Y/N)’s mother waved him off. “Go on back. She’ll be glad to see you.”

A goofy grin tugged at his lips and he bowed his head. Then he ducked under the tent and around to the back. He heard her singing softly before he saw her. He took a chance and peeked over the canvas, seeing her intent on her knitting. Her deft, delicate fingers whipped around the needles as her beautiful work grew longer in her lap. The tune she sang to herself was familiar to him, one he’d often heard his mother sing to Kili when he was acting up as a dwarfling.

She hummed the last line and spun her work in her hands.

“I’ve never heard that verse before.”

She looked up, startled. He didn’t miss her breath catch in her throat as she looked at him. It made him wonder if she had been expecting him, waiting for him, or if she hardly thought of him at all when he wasn’t standing right here in front of her.

She almost dropped her needles as she moved to stand. “Prince Fili-”

“No, sit. I didn’t mean to stop you. Continue your work,” he said. “What will it be?”

“A simple shawl. They’re popular when the weather turns.”

He knelt before her and fingered the ends of the soft, knitted material hanging over her knees. “It’s beautiful.”

She smiled. Mission accomplished. “Thank you,” she said. Then she stood, folding her work and tucking the needles inside. “I’ve only just begun and my fingers are already cramping,” she said. Her soft laugh wisped past his ears like a spring breeze.

“Then take a walk with me.” He held out his arm and she took it, turning her face to hide the blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks.

He led her to the front of the tent and looked over the expertly crafted work of her and her family. He reached for a pair of fine leather gloves. “I haven’t seen these before.”

“(Y/N) is especially proud of them, my prince. She just finished them last evening,” (Y/N)’s mother said.

“I’ll take them,” he said.

(Y/N) pulled on his arm. “No, no. I’ll make you better ones! This is the first time I’ve worked with leather. I’ll make them to your specifications and have them for you next week. Please.”

He slipped his hand into the glove. “(Y/N), you should be proud of these. They’re perfect. I want to be the first to support your new work.” He reached for his purse.

“Oh, no, Prince Fili. If you’d like them, just take them.”

“Absolutely not. You’ll take this and no less,” he said, handing her mother a small stack of gold coins that made her eyes grow wide.

“But-”

“And I’ll hear no more of the matter,” he said with a wink. “Will you still walk with me?”

“Of course.”

She allowed him to lead her through the market. He thought back to the first time he’d done so and remembered (Y/N) being so shy, barely saying a word to him and shying away from the loud music and prying eyes. Now, he felt her straighten her back and shoulders like she was proud to be on his arm. He convinced himself he was imagining it.

“Really, Prince Fili, you did not have to do that, but I thank you all the same,” she said.

“I have asked you at least a dozen times to call me Fili.”

“And you will have to ask me at least a dozen times more before I do,” she said. He saw a smirk on her lips.

“As long as that means twelve more walks through the market with you, I’m content.”

He watched her fingers run longingly over the fabric of a cloak as she passed it. He would have to put his plan in motion now if he wanted it to succeed. He cleared his throat that suddenly felt tight with nerves. “I would greatly appreciate your help, (Y/N). You see, I am out shopping for a specific someone today.”

“Prince Kili?”

“No. I-uh, actually a friend. A female friend.”

“Oh.”

“In less than a fortnight, there will be a celebration and I wanted to… I know this person has nothing to wear to a- a ball and I need…”

“You need a dam’s touch.”

“Yes.” He brought her back to the cloak she had been looking at. “Would something like this- would you like something like this?”

“Oh, it’s very beautiful,” she said. She pulled him down the street before whispering, “But that wouldn’t last a week.” Her grip around his arm tightened as she rushed through the market with a particularly excited skip in her step. “This is where you want to go,” she said, pulling him into a small tent that was tightly packed with dams’ cloaks, gowns, and dresses. “These things are very well made-they’ll last forever. And they’re gorgeous.”

She weaved through the hanging clothes, letting her gentle fingers run down the fabric of everything she passed. “Is her hair light or dark?”

Her question yanked him from his blurry thoughts as he watched her. “My-the friend? The dam? Similar to yours.”

“Oh, well then you’ll want something like this.” She pulled out a long gown of deep red with silver trimming. “This color will match your robes almost perfectly. She will be attending with you?”

“I hope she will be.”

She stopped her twirling. “How could she say no to you?” She held the dress up to another one, but put the second one back. “I think this one will be best. It won’t have to be altered it it’s in this style.”

Fili nodded to the attendant, asking him to wrap it and hold it for him. He breathed out a laugh, watching (Y/N) rush through the different racks. He wondered if she had ever purchased anything from this tent herself. A dreamy smile donned her features as she pulled out a skirt and held it against her waist, kicking the train out in front of her. “What else?” he asked when she was done.

“What do you mean?”

“What else would you want if you could have anything? If you were going to a ball. A cloak?”

“Will she be travelling?”

Fili’s mind stuttered again. “Let’s… let’s get one just in case.”

It didn’t take her long to pick out a velvet, hooded cloak of deep grey. “This is very warm and will set off clothing of any color. And it has pockets!”

“What more?” he asked.

“More?”

“Do you think it’s too much?”

“No. I was thinking-that you’re very thoughtful. She is very lucky to have you care for her so.” She turned from him and coughed. “Well, we have a cloak, we have a gown. What about jewelry?”

“Lead the way, (Y/N).” He held his arm out to her and she took it.

As she passed the next tent, she fingered a blue cable knitted sweater, smiled to herself and sighed.

“Do you like that?” he asked.

“Actually, I thought it would look very handsome on you. The yarn is very soft and almost the same color as your eyes. Like the sky. But the best jewelry is made by this woman over here.”

The change of subject mixed with her compliment and attentions made his mind swim. So she liked him in blue. He didn’t own much blue, but he would after today. She was leaning over the jewelry that was laid out on a table covered in black velvet. He placed a hand on the small of her back. “Which do you like?”

“You pick,” she said. She giggled at his awe parted lips.

“But you’re supposed to be helping me. I need your advice. Which would you like?”

She brought her clasped hands to her chest. “If I were her, I would want something that you picked out.” After a moment, her fingers reached out and she sped through the words, “But silver would match the trimming on the dress.” Then her hands covered her mouth, muffling her giddy laugh.

He bent over the many necklaces and earrings and rings, feeling like a complete imbecile. He felt her eyes on him. He took a breath. “Some of these are very gaudy, hm?” Her laugh made a smirk pull at his lips. He lifted a simple necklace of twisted, circling silver and laid it in his hand. “This one?”

“It’s lovely.”

He met her in the street after settling and having the jewelry wrapped by the seller. He pulled her out of the way of a drunkard with firm hands on her waist and wrist. Then she slid her arm through his and they traveled slowly back to her tent.

“Thank you for your help today, (Y/N).”

“Thank _you,_ Prince Fili, for the wonderful distraction. As always, I’ve enjoyed our walk.”

He held the tent flap open for her and she ducked inside. “Now I’ve seen you safely back, I’ll let you continue your work. I look forward to seeing it, and you, next week.” He kissed her hand and disappeared.

(Y/N) set her unfinished shawl in her lap but had trouble seeing the stitches through her blurred vision. So she was right. He didn’t have feelings for her after all, he was just being kind. Whoever this mystery dam was, she was very lucky.

***

Fili walked through the mountain with a sloppy grin on his face that pulled the attention of passing servants but he didn’t care. His plan had been an absolute success. He pushed the door to his chambers open and wasn’t surprised to see Kili sitting on his bed. Fili greeted him and tossed him the bag of cakes.

“All twelve of them are in here, I presume?” Kili said with a mouth full of one.

“Kili, if you’re going to be so possessive over cakes, you should go to the market yourself.”

“But if you didn’t go to the market for me you’d never see your sweet friend, (Y/N).” He shoved another cake in his mouth, dropping crumbs on the furs of Fili’s bed. “How’d it go today, anyway? Did you blow it?”

“No, I did not blow it. It actually worked perfectly. You should have seen her running around through the market. It was pretty adorable.”

“’Pretty adorable’? Mahal, Fili, just marry the dam already.”

Fili put a knee on his bed and leaned to the bag of treats. “Give me one of those. It’s my delivery fee.”

“One! Now, go! Go far away! I hope you tip this old Miss Diyla,” Kili said.

“I tip her very well. With your money.”

“Well, good.” Kili chewed the last one and laid back on the bed, sighing. “So you had the gifts delivered to (Y/N)’s house?”

“I took them myself and left the box for her with a note inside. Hopefully she’ll say yes to attending the ball with me.”

“She will.”

Fili hummed, laying back on the bed and resting his head on Kili’s stomach.

***

The next day, Fili opened his chamber door after the knocker sounded to see one of the servants to the royal family. “Hello, Rava.”

Rava bowed. “My prince. There is a dwarrowdam to see you. Her name is (Y/N).”

“(Y/N)’s here? Where?” He frantically looked through the halls, seeing no one.

“At the foot of the mountain, my prince.”

Fili rushed to tuck his tunic into his trousers and roll up the sleeves of his blue sweater as he hurried down the corridor. “In future, always invite her in. And bring her straight to me, she is a friend.”

“Yes, my prince. Would you like me to-”

“All is well, I’ll find her. Good day, Rava.”

Fili barely heard Rava return his farewell as he leapt down the stairwell and landed at the foot of the mountain. His hands were trembling as he looked through the field under the mountain, searching for her. He was sweating now, from nerves and excitement as well as from the exercise of sprinting through the corridors. Then he saw her.

She was sitting on a bench placed against the rock of the mountain that overlooked the massive hill with Dale at the bottom. She faced away from him and the breeze blew her hair from her neat braid. He jogged to her, then checked himself and strode to stand before her.

“(Y/N). I didn’t expect to see you today.”

She stood and he saw the box in her hands. “I apologize for having come with no warning, but I needed to bring these gifts to you. There must have been some confusion at the market. Everything we picked out for your friend was mistakenly delivered to me.”

“It wasn’t a mistake,” Fili said. Just then, three dwarflings flew by them, waving swords at each other and playfully reenacting the Battle of the Five Armies for Erebor. He chuckled. “We can’t speak here. Come with me.” He took the box from her and led her around the mountain to the edge of the royal gardens. He set the box down and reached for (Y/N)’s hands, pulling her to sit next to him. “It wasn’t a mistake. I delivered the gifts to your house myself.”

She waited for him to speak more. When he said nothing, she said, “I am- I don’t understand.”

“Did you open the box?”

She shook her head. “No. I recognized the markings from the tradesmen we visited and knew it wasn’t mine to open.”

He chuckled at her innocence, her sense of propriety, her true heart. “It is yours to open. See?” He set the box on his lap and opened the top, allowing her to see the note tucked gently inside.

She lifted it and read it. He watched her brows dance in confusion, then excitement, then something he couldn’t quite place. “You’re asking me to attend the ball with you? Me?”

“Yes. And these gifts are for you. I wanted to be sure you’d like them.”

“What? I can’t- I can’t accept these things. These beautiful, _expensive_ things! I’ve done nothing to deserve them!”

He closed the box and set it out of the way, taking her hands in his again. They fit perfectly together, much like the leather gloves she’d made. “You’ve spent hours of your day walking through the market with me. For months, you’ve made me look forward to seeing you for just that one day a week. You’ve shared your thoughts, memories, laughs and smiles with me. You’ve captured my heart, the least you deserve are a few simple gifts.”

She stood, trying to peel her hands from his, but he chased her, managing to keep one of her hands in his grasp. “What must you think of me?” Her free fingers went to her red cheek. “Running around like a fool picking out gifts? Gifts for myself no less!” She groaned, covering her eyes.

Fili chuckled, pulling her closer to him. “I enjoyed spending time with you yesterday. I enjoyed spoiling you!”

“But those things don’t matter! Material things mean nothing to me compared to your kindness and your time. I won’t take these gifts. You’ll think I only want your money- your-your crown! I promise you, I don’t! That’s not what our-what this friendship is, I swear to you.”

He gripped her chin gently. “How could you believe I’d think that of you? Don’t you know I can spot a fake smile from a mile away? Yours… _you_ are so genuine and so true. I want to give you these things so you can have a wonderful time celebrating with me at the ball, not to win you over. I… I actually hoped I’d already done that part.” His fingers trickled through her hair and landed on her waist.

Her thumb lifted to swipe over his cheek. “You have. You succeeded in that long ago.”

He felt his cheeks burning as he smiled hard. He dug through his pocket as he said, “Then I have one more thing for you.”

“Oh, no, Fili. Please, no more.”

“Just look at it.” He lifted two courting beads, flattening out his hand so she could see. She gasped at the small braid clasps, squeezing his arm that circled her waist. “Do you see the runes? Yours and mine. And rubies-”

“Like your crown in court.”

He hummed, watching her eyes fill with emotion.

“They’re beautiful.”

“They’re yours if you want them. And so am I.”

“Of course I do,” She held his face and kissed him.

He deepened the kiss and allowed his hands to roam over her back, shoulders, and waist as much as he thought was proper. Then he drew away, remembering he hadn’t even braided her hair yet. And they were out in the royal gardens for all to see. Her face flushed and he knew she realized the same thing.

“I was right,” she said.

He pecked her lips, making her giggle. “About what?”

“You do look exceedingly handsome in blue sweaters.” Her fingers ran down his chest.

“Good. Because I bought three of them yesterday.”


End file.
